Drill pipe protector



' Jan.. 17, 1933. w. L, MLAINE' DRILL PIPE PROTECTOR Filed 'April 28,1950 M ""lur mmh Qlllll Egg Imaam/Taza' Patented Jan. 17, 1933UNITED-STATES PATENr orrlcla'.v

WILLIAM L. HCLAINE, OE LOS ANGELES. CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OIF` ONE-THIRDTO RICHARD A. SPEBRY, .OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND ONE-TBmD TO E. I.SMITH COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIADRILL PIPE Application filed April Q8,

the lower end of this drill shaft a drilling tool is secured. During therotation of the drill shaft Within the Well, deflection occurs whichbrings portions of the drill shaft intoVf engagement with the casing ofthe well or with the open wall of the Well.- with the re' sult that thecollars and tool vjoints of the drill shaft become rapidly worn so as tomake replacement thereof frequently necessary, and in many instances thejvear on the casing is such that holes are formed thereinJ through whichwater may leak into the com- Ypleted well. these holes being hard tolocate and difcult to cement-0E.

My invention comprehends a simple form of devicevvhich may be secured tothe drill shaft adjacent to the couplings and tool joints thereof, whichdevice is formed principally of a resilient wear-resisting material andprojects outwardly to such an extent that engagement of the couplingsand tool joints of the drill shaft with the casing or open wall oftheWell is prevented. The drill pipe protector includes a plurality of wearmembers having projecting engagement portions formedof a resilientmaterial, such as a rubber compound. especially adapted for relativelynon-frictional engagement with the well casing or open wall of the well.The engagement portions of the wear members project outwardly beyond thecircumference ofthe couplings and tool jointsby which the pipes of thedrill shaft are secured together and therefore prevent Wear on the drillshaft and reduce to a minimum the wear on the well casinor resultingfrom the operation ofl the drill shaft therein.

It is'an object of the invention to make a Wearpreventer of extremelysimple construction having the wear receiving parts thereof replaceableand having a simple device' PROTECTOR 1930. Serial No. 447,911.

for securing them in operative position on the drill shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wear preventer havinglongitudinal circulation spaces or channels therein of ample size t-opermit a non-restricted flow of drilling mud upwardly around the drillshaft. Contributory to this feature of the invention, the replaceableWear members are made of longitudinal form and are held in be forcedinwardly against the surface of the drill shaft so as to securely holdthe wear members in place. e

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be made evidentthroughout the following part of the specication.

Referring to the drawing whichis for il` lustrative purposes only, i

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational section illustrating the manner inwhich my invention is. employed on a drill shaft within a Well.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view showing a preferred form of theinvention mounted on a fragment of a drill shaft Fig. 3 is a crosssection'on a plane represented by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

y Fig. 4 is a perspective elevation of a wear member forming part oftheinvention.

For the purpose of illustrating the utility of the invention I have Fig.1 shown a. portion of a casing 11 extending vertically within a well V12which has been drilled by use of a drill bit 13 and other cooperatingdrilling tools. The drillbit 13 is secured by means of a drill stem 14to the lower end of a string of drill pipe or #ill shaft 15 consistingof lengths of dri pipe 16 secured together by means of sleeve couplings17'` and tool joints V18. 1t is impossible to operate a drill shaft,such as the drill shaft 15, concentrically within a well of anyconsiderable depth. ln order tov prevent engagement of the. couplings 17and tool joints 13 ofthe drill shaft with the casing 11 or the open wallof the well, protectors 20 of my invention are placed on the drill shaftl5 at suitable intervals, it being customary to place these protectors20 adjacent to the couplingscompound, such body having an outer wearVreceiving portion 23 of vertically elongated form and with rounded ends24, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The members 22 also each have aninner or shaft engaging portion 25 which includes a laterally projectingflange .26, such flange 26 consisting of relatively narrow side portions27 and end portions 28 which are preferably chamfered,

, as indicated at 30. The inner face of the flange 26 is referablycontinuous with the inner face ,o the complete wear member 22 of whichthe flange 26 forms a part. rality of these wear members 22 are spacedaround the exterior of the drill shaft 15 and are securely held againstdisplacement by securing means 32 adapted to engage the outer faces 33of thel flanges 26 and by inward pressure to compress the flanges 26tightly against the shaft 15. The simple form of securing means 32 shownin the drawing includes a pluralityl of arcuated plates 34 joinedtogether by hinges 35 and each having an opening 36 therein of such sizeand configuration that an outer or wear receiving portion ofa wearmember 22 may project therethrough. The portions of the arcuated plates34 surrounding the openings 36 bear against the outer faces 33 of theflanges 26 and compress these flanges forcibly inwardly against theshaft 15, thus securing the wear members 22 in properly spaced positionson the shaft 15. The securing means 32 constitutes a cylindrical frameof `contractile character, and a simple device 37 is provided forcircumferentially constricting this ,securing means or frame 32 aroundthe flanges.,26 of the plurality of wear members 22. The device 37consists of a plurality of interengaging or dovetailing flat loops 40and 41 formed on the longitudinal edges of the extreme plate members 43and 44 of the assembly of plate members forming the se- A pluascesi@ and44 whereby to produce a reduction in the I eective circumference of thesecuring means 32, which will result in clamping the flanges 26 of thewear members 22 tig itly against the shaft 15. rlhe securing means 32holds the wearl members 22 in such spaced relationship that circulationchannels 50 exists between the opposing edges of the flanges 26, thesechannels 50 extending between the inner faces of the plate members 34and the outer face of the shaft 15 and cooperate with the externalvertical circulation channels formed by the circumferential spaces 52existing between the outer or wear receiving portions of the wearmembers 22, thus giving ample space through whichthe upwardly movingdrilling in ud may pass as it flows toward the mouth of the well or wellcasing. The wear members 22 may be readily and economically replacedwhen they become worn and inay be made with the flanges 26 thereofarcuated, in the manner shown in the drawing, or flat, if desired, itbeing evide nt that when the securing means 32 is applied to an assemblyof wear members 22, the

flanges 26 will be curved to arcuate form corresponding to the surfaceof the shaft 15.

I claim as my invention:

1. A protector of the character described, including: a plurality ofwear members adapted for placement on the exterior of a shaft member,each of said wear members having a shaft engaging portion for engagingsaid shaft and an outwardly projecting wear receiving portion; and meansfor clamping said lwear members inwardly against said shaft'withlongitudinal spaces between the shaft engaging portions thereof topermit circulation of fluid longitudinally of said shaft.`

2. A protector of the character described, including: a plurality ofwear members adapted for placement on the exterior of a shaft member,each of said wear members having a shaft engaging portion for engagingsaid shaft and an outwardly projecting wear receiving portion; and aclamp of cylindrical form engaging external faces of said wear membersfor securing said wear members in spaced relationship on said shaftmember and -with longitudinal spaces between the shaft engaging portionsthereof to permit circulation of fluid longitudinally of said shaft.

3. A protector of the character described, including: a lplurality ofwear members adapted for placement on the exterior of a shaft member,each of said wear members having a shaft engaging portion for engagingsaid shaft and an outwardly projecting wear receiving portion, saidshaft engagin portions including laterally projecting anges extendinglaterally outward on four sides and being of less radial thickness thansaid,

wear members; and means of smaller circumference than the circumferencedefined by the outer faces of said wear receiving portions for engagingsaid flanges so as to secure` said wear members on said shaft.

4. A protector of the character described,

including: a plurality of wear members spaces between the shaft engaginportions' thereof to permit circulation of uid longitudinally along saidshaft member, said clamp having an external circumference less than thecircumferencedetined by the outer faces of said wear receiving portionsof said wear members and being adapted to engage said Walls of saidshaft engaging portions.

5. A protector of the character described,

including: a plurality of Wear members adad for placement on theexterior of a shaft member, each of said wear members having a shaftengaging portion for engaging said sha-ftmember and an outwardlyprojecting wear receiving portion, said shaft engaglng portionsincluding walls of less radial thicmess than said wear members; and aclamp of cylindrical form for securing Said `Wear members in spacedrelationship on said shaft member and with longitudinal spaces betweenthe shaft' engaging portions thereof v'topermit circulation of fluidlongitudinally along said shaft member, said.-

clamp having an external circumference less than the circumferencedefined by the outer faces of said wear receiving portions of said Wearmembers and being adapted to engage4 said walls of said shaft engagingportions, the inner face of said clamp being spaced from the surface ofsaid shaft member.

(LA protector of the character described`7 including: a plurality ofwear members adapted for placement on the exterior of a shaft member,each of said wear members consisting of a longitudinally elongated bodyof wear resisting material having a laterally projecting Harige at theinner portion thereof; and means for securing said wear mem-` bers, onsaid shaft member. said means consisting of a cylindrical frame having aplurality of circumferentially spaced openings of a size to permitpassage of the outer portions of said wear members, said frame engagingthe outer faces of said flanges of said wear members and compressingsaid flanges against said shaft member.

7. A protector of the character described, including: a plurality ofwear members adapted for placement on the exterior of a shaft member,each of said wear members consisting of a longitudinally elongated bodyof Wear resisting material having a laterally projecting Harige at theinner portion thereof; means for securing said wear members on saidshaft member, said means consisting of a cylindrical frame having aplurality of circumferentially spaced openings of a size to permitpassage'of the outer portions of said Wear members, said frame engagingthe outer faces of said flanges of said wear members and compressingsaid flanges against said shaft member; and means for reducing thecircumferential length of said frame whereby to constrict said framearound saidflanges of said wear members.

8. A protector ofthe character described, including a plurality of Wearmembers adapted for placement on the, exterior of a shaft member, eachof said wear members consisting of a longitudinally elongated body ofwea-r resisting material ha/ving a laterally 'projecting flange at. theinner portion thereof: and means/for securing said wear members on saidshaft member, said means consisting of a plurality of arcuated plateshinged one to the other and having openings therein through which theouter portions of said Wear members may project, said plates bearingagainst the outer faces of said flanges of said wear members andcompressing said flanges against said shaft member.

9. A protector of the character described, including: a plurality ofwear members adapted for placement on the exterior of a shaft member,each of said Wear members consisting of a longitudinally elongated bodyof wear resisting material having a laterally project-ing iange at theinner portion thereof: means for securing said wear members on saidshaft member, said means consisting of a plurality of arcuated plateshinged one to the other `and having openings therein through which theouter portions of said wear members may project, said plates bearingagainst the outer faces of said flanges of said Wear members andcompressing said flanges against said shaft member; and locking meansoperated between the extreme plates of said securing means tocircumferentially constrict said .securing means so as to clamp saidflanges of said wear members against said shaft member.

l0. A protector of the character described. including: a4 plurality ofwear members adapted for placement-.on the exterior of a shaft member.each of said` wear members consisting of Aa longitudinally elongatedbody imV lli

bers, said frame engaging the outer faces of said flanges of said wearmembers and compressing said fl'anges against said shaft mem-Y ber.

includfng: a plurality of wear members adapted for placement on theexterior of a shaft member, each of said Wear members consisting of alongitudinally elongated body of wear resisting material having alaterally projecting flange .at the inner portion thereof; and means forsecuring said wear members on said shaft member in suchcircumfcrentially spaced relationshipjthat longitudinal circulationchannelswill exist between the edges of said flanges of said wearmembers, said means consisting of a plurality of ar'cuated plates hingedone to the other and having openings therein through which the outerportions of said wear members may project, said plates bearing againstthe outer faces of said flanges of said wear members and compressingsaid flanges against said shaft member.

' 12. A protector of the character described,

" including: a plurality ofI wear members adapted for placement on theexterior of a ally projecting flange at the inner portion' shaft member,each of said wear members consisting of a. longitudinally elongated bodyof Wear resisting material having -a laterthereof; means for securingsaid wear members on said shaft member in such circumferentially spacedrelationship that longitudinal circulation channels will exist betweenthe edges of said flanges of said wear members, said means consistingof'a plurality of arcuatcd plates hinged one to the other and havinglopenings therein through which the outer portions of said wear membersmay project, said plates bearing against the outer faces of said flangesof said wear members and compressing said flanges against said shaftmember; and locking means operated between the cumferentiallyconstrictsaid securing means .so as to clamp said flanges of said wearmembers against said shaft member.

resisting material having a laterally projecting flange at the innerportion thereof which extends laterally outward in four directions and.adapted-to be compressed against the surface of a shaft member.

14. As an article of manufacture, a wear member for a protector of thecharacter described, comprising an elongated body of lresilient Wearresisting material having a latsilient wear resisting material having alat- 11. A protector of the character described,

erally projecting flange at the inner portion thereof which extendslaterally outward in 'four directions and is adapted to be com- -pe. l e

17. In a drill pipe protector the combination of: a plurality of wearmembers adapted for placementmn a drill pipe; separate means adaptedtoengage said wear members p for clamping same to said drill pipe; andholding means cooperating betweensaid wear members and said separatemeansfor holding said wear members in spaced relation l around saiddrill pipe.

18. ln a drill pipe protector the combination of: a plurality of wearmembers adapted for placement on a drill pipe; separate means adapted toengage said wear members -for clamping same to said drill pipe.,l saidseparate means including band means adapted to engage external surfacesof said wear members and constricting means for said band'ineans; andholding means for holding said wear members in predetermined positionson said drill pipe.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 22d day of April, 1930.

e WILLIAM L. MCLAINE.

'extreme plates of said 'securing means to cir-

